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Understanding international school curricula

A plain-English guide to the most common international school curricula, what they are, how they work, and which might suit your family best.

Curriculum guide

European Baccalaureate

By · Chief Marketing Officer

The European Baccalaureate is the qualification awarded by the network of European Schools, originally set up for the children of EU institution staff and now offered at Accredited European Schools worldwide. It's multilingual by design (students learn in a "language 1" from home country, plus L2 and often L3), broad, and directly recognised at universities across the EU.

Ages 4–11

Nursery & Primary

Mother-tongue instruction alongside a second European language from age 6. Focus on multilingualism and European citizenship from the start.

Ages 11–16

Secondary S1–S5

Broad common curriculum. A third language (L3) is added at S3. Students specialise gradually in the final two years.

Ages 16–18

S6–S7 (Baccalaureate)

Final two years leading to the EB exams. Grades out of 100 across compulsory + option subjects. The final EB certificate is directly recognised in all EU member states as a university-entrance qualification.

European Baccalaureate

Multilingual by design

Students study in their first language, learn a second European language from age 6, and typically a third from age 12. History, geography and economics are usually taught in L2 from S3. The result is graduates who can genuinely operate across two or three European working languages.

Is European Baccalaureate right for your child?

It tends to suit families who…

  • Have European institution family connections
  • Are moving between EU countries and want a European track
  • Value genuine multilingualism
  • Are aiming at European universities

It may be less ideal if…

  • You want a single language of instruction
  • You need a globally-standardised curriculum outside the EU
  • Your child struggles with juggling two or three languages

Common questions

FAQs about the European Baccalaureate curriculum

Is the European Baccalaureate the same as the IB? +
No — different awarding body and quite a different structure. EB is more multilingual by design and administered by the European Schools system; IB is administered by the International Baccalaureate Organization from Geneva.
Do UK universities accept the EB? +
Yes. UK universities including the Russell Group accept the EB. Offers are usually quoted as an overall percentage (e.g. 80% overall with specific subject scores).

Find schools

Schools teaching European Baccalaureate on doris

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